The thin skins combined with the thick, sweet flesh, makes this variety an extra special treat. (Red Bulls Horn) One of the most loved sweet peppers of Italy. The long curved pepper looks like, as the name suggests in Italian, the "horn of the bull".
Botanical Name: Capsicum annuum 'Corno di Toro Rosso'
Used in folk medicine to treat disorders of the prostate. Should not be used without medical supervision. Ground cover for any unsightly barren patches, south-facing slopes, etc. Mounds of lacy leaves topped all summer long by a profusion of pink or white...
Heavy yields, about twice as much as cayenne. Medium-hot at 5,000 Scoville units. Looks like a cayenne pepper with long glossy scarlet pods 15-17cm/6-7" but the flavour is sweet and tart with undertones of strawberry and apples and no bitterness.
Young shoots are eaten like asparagus. Wild flower growing up to 1m/3ft high. Germination benefits from gibberellic acid treatment. Silk-like down of seeds is used to stuff pillows.
Its medium dark green foliage has excellent flavour and aroma, and makes this variety an excellent choice for potted plant growers and for greenhouse and hydroponic basil producers.
Seeds are planted in hardwood forests or in specially prepared beds anytime from Sept. It has become extinct in many areas and is now cultivated to a large extent in British Columbia, Ontario and Wisconsin.
Uses: Medicinal
Botanical Name: Panax quinquefolius
Ease of Germination: Difficult/Special Treatment Required
ERFURTER is rich in medicinal mucilage, up to 10%. Noted for soothing irritations and inflammations of the skin, throat, eyes, lungs and urinary organs.
In Lucania, in southern Italy, the young leaves are traditionally collected during the procession of the Black Madonna in May and September and are dried for future use to treat wounds, much like bandages.
Fast grower; successive sowings every two weeks will ensure continuous supply. Leaves are cooked like spinach or in soup, or raw in salads. (Garland chrysanthemum; Chopsuey green) Popular Oriental green with an unusual strong flavour.
Masses of flowers in spring are a mix of purple, pink and white. This is the flower of deceit, giving off its lovely perfume only in the evening. When in flower, it is used as a gland stimulant and an aphrodisiac.
Height 40in (101cm); Spread 18in (45cm) Both leaves and flowers are edible. Attractive honey plant with masses of white flower spikes, rich in nectar. Leaves, when crushed, are strongly anise-scented.
One triterpenoid glycoside has been shown to have an antifungal effect against candida. Easily taken for granted in North America when the countryside is awash with its yellow flowers in fall, goldenrod is better appreciated in Europe as a medicinal plant.
Borage, Calendula, Heartsease, Nasturtium, Citrus Marigold. Herbs with edible flowers to add to salads, omelettes, desserts, and drinks. Feast for the eyes -- pleasing to the palate.
With its purple flowers, attractive foliage and bright berries, Goji berry plants make a wonderful addition to your perennial garden. Much lauded as a "superfruit" in recent years, Goji has been used medicinally in China for centuries.
Prefers wet locations. Clinical studies show that it significantly reduces the risk of migraine attack, and relieves asthma and chronic bronchitis. New research shows that it relieves the symptoms of hay fever and other seasonal allergies without the...
Used in shampoos; believed to arrest hair loss and induce new growth. Used in cosmetics and pharmaceutical products, and as a top-quality industrial lubricant that may replace sperm whale oil.
Prefers sandy soil. Difficult to germinate; may take two years. Interesting cactus, winter hardy in Ontario. Bears edible fruits (pears) having pleasant, sweet, somewhat acid taste.
The leaves and flowers have a hot watercress flavour and are great in salads; and the young seed pods are hotter and can be pickled and used like capers. Here is a flower-herb-veggie that cuts across the genres, with its white-flecked leaves and showy...
Ease of Germination: Easy
Botanical Name: Tropaeolum minus 'Tip Top Alaska Deep Orange'
Golden yellow flowers. Slow to germinate. (Mexican tarragon; Mexican marigold) Sweet-smelling leaves and flowers with a flavour similar to tarragon. In warm areas where French tarragon will not grow, this is an excellent substitute.
White-pink flowers resemble turtle heads. Good tonic during convalescence. (Balmony; Bitter herb) Used for poor appetite, indigestion, general debility, constipation, piles, worms.
This showy North American native displays its deep violet flowers in the fall. The Iroquois used it as a ‘love medicine' and as a ‘smudging' herb to revive the unconscious. Native people have used the roots of this plant for fever, catarrh and pain.
Can be grown for interest as a potplant in a bright window or greenhouse. Tender biennial or triennial. This and other species of Gossypium are the sources of the eminently useful cotton fibre.
Has high concentration of solasodine, a starting material for the manufacture of cortisone and sex hormones. Bitter fruits are used in Indian curries. (Yellow-berried nightshade) Spiny, diffuse herb found throughout India.
More compact than other leaf celeries, reaching only 25-50cm (10-20") in height. Use it like parsley and surprise your guests with its rich celery flavour and aroma. A very nice leaf celery with finely cut, dark green glossy leaves.
These seeds need a period of cold stratification for successful germination. Hardy herbs can be transplanted after the last frost. Whether in the garden or on the windowsill, learn their likes and dislikes, and you'll be rewarded with flavor and beauty.
Very easy to grow. The brilliant red leaves are cooked like spinach to make Jamaican and Guyanese-style callaloo, a traditional dish that originally came from West Africa. Like the green variety, the leaves are best used when young when they are sweet...
